Thursday, June 28, 2018

CALLS to add fluoride to the drinking water supply in a town where more than a third of children starting primary school have several decayed teeth have moved a step forward.Darlington Borough Council’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee is set to recommend a technical appraisal, partly funded by NHS England, is carried out.The study will would examine if the existing water distribution network is capable of supporting a Darlington fluoridation scheme or one which covered areas of the Tees Valley not already supplied with fluoridated water.It will also look at the potential impact on neighbouring areas.At present, the only water fluoridation schemes in England north of Lincolnshire cover parts of north Durham, Newcastle, Northumberland and Cumbria.The move follows a large-scale study published in the Journal of Dental Research earlier this month which found areas where more than 75 per cent of residents had water fluoridation saw a 30 per cent less decay in children’s first teeth, and 12 per cent less decay in children’s permanent teeth.The council would fund any water fluoridation programme.